Amalgamator



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. F. DANIELS 8v J. H. ALLISON.

r(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 2.

J. F. DANIELS 8u J. H. ALLISON.

AMALGAMATOR. No. 538,099. Patented Apr. 23, 1895. ,J9/2. ai [y d e I 1|I .am K. if l (No Model.) 3 Sheets-'Sheet 3. J. F. DANIELS 8v J.' H.ALLISON.

AMALGAMATOR. Y

Patented Apr. 23, 1895.

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. NTTED; STnTns PATENT Ormes.

JOHN F. DANIELS AND JOSEPH H. ALLISON, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

' AMALGAMATQR.

l SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,099, dated April23, 1895.

Application filed June 23, 1893. Serial No. L1:78,(559. (No model.) y

'To J1/ZZ whom t may concern:

ures of reference marked thereon, which form` a part of thisspecification.

Our invention relates to amalgamators designed more especially for goldplacer mining on ailarg'e scale.

It has for vits object to provide suitable means for separating thelarger material from l the smaller material.

`It has further for `its object to provide irnproved means wherebly theparticles adhering to a shelf or apron may be washed therefrom.

It has further for yits object to provide irnproved means for agitatingthe water containing the gold, sand, and other particles, for thepurposeof better separating the precious metal from the foreign matters.

It has further for its object to provide means for'snpplying water tothe agitator for the purpose'of more eiectually washing the material andkeeping up a flow of water.

It has further for its object to provide improved means for holding themercury to receive and retain the preciousnietal separated from theforeign matter.

It has further for its object to provide an amalgamatorpossessingimproved features in construction and in combination for themore expeditious and efficient separation of the precious metal. fromthe-foreign matters, all as hereinafter particularly described andillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

To the accomplish ment'of'the foregoing and such other objects asmayhereinafter appear, the invention consists in the construction, and alsoin the combination of parts hereinafter particularly described and thensought to be specifically defi ned4 by the claims, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings forminga partrhereof, in which- Figure 1 isa side elevation of the amalgaing from the rear of the amalgamator. Fig.5 is a plan view of the amalgamator. Fig. 6 is a detail view of one ofthe agitators. Fig.

7 is a vertical section through the top sieve. Fig. 8 is a plan view ofthe same partly in section. Fig. 9 is a vertical section through amodified form of sieve. Fig. 10 is a perspective of one of the mercuryreceptacles with-.a portion brokenaway. Fig. 11 is a horizontal sectionthrough the casing showing the lower side in plan. Fig. 12 is aperspective of upper side and a portion of the discharge outlet of thecasing or shell.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates` a platform car of any approvedconstruction and designed to support the amalgamator and move the samefrom place to place as desired. This platform sustains the amalgamatorpan 2 which is preferably a trough of semi-circular form and made of anysuitable metal and appropriately braced and stayed to rest firmly uponthe platform. At the forward end of this amalgamator there is located acasing or shell 3 supported by any suitable number of upright vstandardst resting upon the platform of the car. At the upper end of this casingor shell is a hopper 5 preferably formed with a iiange 6 which fitsaround the outside of the casing or shell so as to receive bolts 7 tosecurely hold the hopper to the shell or casing. Within the casing orshell 3, beneath the hopper 5, there is supported a screen 8 which isillustrated as of conical form but which may be of a basket form asshown in Fig. 9, andwhich is preferably formed of perforated metal ofone half inch mesh and which may be braced by ribs 9 on .its exterior.This screen is connected in any suitable way to a hub 10 kfrom whichthere extends a sleeve 11, through which hub and sleeve passes avertical shaft 12 having its upper end bearing in a hub 13 sustained byarms 14 extending from the interior of the hopper and its lower endbearing in a box 15. The hub 10 or sleeve 11 is keyed or otherwisesecured to the shaft 12 so that the sieve S will revolve with saidshaft.

Beneath the seive 8 and 'within the shell or IOO casing 3 there issupported a second sieve 16 which may be of a conicalor a basket formand which is preferably formed of perforated metal of one eighth inchmesh, and which may be braced by ribs 17 formed on the exterior thereof.The sieve 16 is connected in any suitable way to the hub 18 which has anupward extension or sleeve 19 preferably entering a recess formed in thebase of the hub 10 and also with the sleeve 2O extending downwardly,through which hub and sleeve the vertical shaft 12 will pass so thatsaid shaft will turn therein and the sieve 16 may revolve around saidshaft.

The sleeve 19 and the sleeve 11 serve to protect the shaft 12 from thematerial in the two sieves S and 16. On the lower end of the sleeve 20there is a pinion 21 which meshes with agear wheel 22, and to the shaft12 there is keyed or otherwise secured a pinion '23 which meshes with agear wheel 24E, the hubs of the gears 22 and 24 being secured to themain shaft 27 journaled in the boxes 25 and 26 mounted on theplatform 1. Under the construction described the sieves 8 and 16 arerevolved in opposite directions to each other and as the lower sieve 16will have its material distributed more evenly over its surface thanwill` the sieve 8 and will consequently be more evenly balanced, it willbe run at a higher rate of speed than the sieve 8. The sieves howevermay be caused to revolve in the same direction. The lower portion of theshell or casing 3 is formed with a spout or mouth 2S over the forwardend of the amalgamator pan 2 for the delivery of the material that maypass through the two sieves 8 and 16, and beneath the sieve 16 there is1ocated au inclined shelf or apron 29 over which will be directedastream of water for the purpose of washing from the apron into theamalgamator pan particles of gold that may settle thereon after passingthrough the sieves above.

The water is supplied through a pipe or passage way 30 which willcommunicate in any suitable way with the source of water supply anddeliver the water through an opening 31 in the side of the shell oreasing at or adjacent to the upper end of theinelined shelf or apron 29so that it will flow over said shelf or apron for the purposes stated.The shell or ease 3 is provided with an outlet 32 adjacent to theperipheries of the two screens 8 and 16 for the exit of the coarsermaterial that may be thrown ont of and away from said screens bycentrifugal force in their revolution, said outlet 32 being providedwith the horizontal partition 33 to keep separate the material thrownout from one sieve from that thrown out from the other sieve. This isdesirable so that in the event of nuggets of gold being thrown out fromthe foreign material from the sieve the nuggets may be directed to arifiie and be saved. For the purpose of detleeting the coarser materialthat may rise to the periphery of the two sieves and thus cause it topass directly into the outlet 32, there are arranged next to the outletand projectingto a greater or less extent into the space above theperiphery of the sieves, shoes or deflectors or dividers 34, preferablyformed of hardened steel and arranged as indicated in the drawings,whereby the material will be directed to and through the outlet 32.

The interior of the amalgamator pan 2 is provided with a series ofamalgam plates or mercury receivers 35 preferably made of cop'- per andsilver plated and then plated with Quicksilver. These plates orreservoirs are preferably formed semi-circular in cross seetion and arepreferably arranged to extend lengthwise of the amalgamator pan. Theyare arranged side by side and each one is preferably independent of theother so that any one or more can be removed as desired or they can beremoved each one at a time when the gold collected therein is to beremoved therefrom. When constructed and arranged as described they maybe said to constitute a lining for the amalgamator pan composed of aseries of removable plates or reservoirs. Each oneof these reservoirsisclosed at opposite ends so as to form the semi-circular trough and eachone may be made in a single piece from end to end but it is preferred toform each one of a series of sections so that instead of removing thewhole trough of the entire length of the amalgamator pan, the sectionscomposing the entirelength of the trough may be taken outseparately thusfacilitating the removal of the amalgam plates or reservoirs. In suchevent it will' be understood of course that each section has its twoends closed so that the precious metal will be held in each section ofthe trough.

While it is preferred to have each one of the amalgam plates orreservoirs independent of the others so that one can be removed at atime it is obvious that two or more of them may be connected togetherand thus be removed in sections of that kind without departing from thespirit of this feature of the invention.

Vte have indicated in Fig. 10 of the drawings by the transverse dottedlines the form of the mercury trough or amalgam plate formed in itslength of a series of sections, each having its opposite ends closed,the dotted lines indicating the closed ends of the trough.

Within the amalgamating pan is arranged a series of oscillatingagitators designated by the numeral 36. These agitators are preferablymade segmental in form and hollow and provided with a series ofprojections or blades 37 likewise hollow and are suspended in anysuitable manner that will permit oscillation. The preferred constructionis to connect the series of agitator-s by means of the shaft 38,

each segment being Vformed with a collar 39 adapted to pass around saidshaft and to ybe clamped thereto by means of a bolt 40, and then toconnect two or more of said segments IOO IIO

IZO

the hubs 43 of said arms turning loosely on said shaft, that is,preferably so, although if they should be secured rigidly to the shaftand the shaft made to turn the same would be within the spirit of ourinvention. lt is designed that the shaft 38 shall be of tubular form soas to constitute it a water pipe for the passage of Water from a sourceof supply under considerable pressure for the purpose of delivering thewater to the hollow segments composing the agitators in order that itmay be forced into the amalgamatorpan and thus supply it with water forthe purpose of washing the sand and other foreign matter from the goldin the pan. The water is delivered into the pan through perforationsformed in the agitators on the side toward the rear of the pan so thatthe water willbe projected in the direction that the material travelsthrough the pan thereby promoting the flow and movement of the materialfrom the forward to the rear end ofthe pan. The perforations, designatedby the numeral 44, are preferably formed in the projections or paddles37 of the agitators although they might be elsewhere placed withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. By the constructiondescribed the water and the gold and the sand in the pan, are kept inastate of constant agitation, and the sand is carried along toward thetail end of the pan while the gold is deposited and collected by themercury of the reservoirs or amalgam plates, the sand being deliveredfrom the tail end of the pan, and assisted in its delivery by therotation of paddles hereinafter described, which paddles also assist inkeeping up a strong current or ow of the water from the forward towardthe tail end of the pan. The oscillatory motion is imparted to theagitators through cranks 45 connected with certain of the agitators andwith a shaft 46 journaled in suitable boxes 47 which may form a part ofthe transverse supports 48 which sustain the shaft 42. The shaft 46receives its motion through a crank 49 and a rod 50 connecting it withan eccentric 5l on the main driving shaft 27. At the tail end of .theamalgamator pan 2 there is a paddle wheel 52 which has its blades setatan angle as shown and which works in the pan so as to assist the flowand agitation of the water and which serves also to lift the sand whichsettles at the tail end of the pan so that it willdischarge through thespout 53. The shaftof the paddle wheel is journaled in a suitable box54, and is provided with a gear wheel 55 which derives its motion from agear wheel 56 mounted on the main shaft 27 which derives motion from asuitable source of power transmitted to the coupling 57 mounted on themain shaft 27.

W'e have described with particularity the lconstruction and also thearrangement of the several parts entering into the formation of theamalgamator and while it is believed that Vsuch construction andarrangement involve kmany features of novelty andsuch features ofnovelty are intended to be covered herein still we do not confineourselves to the exact details and arrangement as shown as it is obviousf that various changes may be made therein without departing from thespirit of the invention.

It will be observed that the lower portion of the hopper 5 projects intothe shell 3 below the top thereof and over the top screen 8, thusforming a depending Iiange designated by the numeral 58 which willconstitute a hood that will deiiect or hold down the material thrown bycentrifugal force from the top peripheral edge of the sieve whenemployed in connection with the portion of the shell or case 3 whichprojects above the top peripheral edge of the sieve. In other Words thisflange 58 or deflecting hood, in connection with the wall of the shelllying in proximity 'to the peripheral edge of the sieve and exten dingupward above that edge, forms a sort of channel or way into which thematerial thrown centrifugally from the peripheral edge of the sieve willtravel until it reaches the discharge outlet in the Wall of the shell.This is an important feature in a machine ofv this character where thesieves are revolved at a high rate of speed so as to effect theseparation of the material or ores. I t will also be observed that oneof the conical sieves tits down inside of the other sieve which bringsthe peripheral edge of the inner sieve above the edge of the othersieve, and as the wall of the shell 3 extends above the top edge of thelower sieve, the material thrown centrifugally from the edge of thelower sieve will be confined by said wall and the lower surface of theupper sieve toward its peripheral edge, in which confined space orchannel the material will travel until it reaches the outlet in theshell. In effect the upper portion of the top sieve will constitute adeflecting hood above the lower sieve which will serve practically thepurpose of the iange or deiiecting hood 58 to the top sieve.

This amalgamator is adapted for placermining on a large scale, it havingthe capacity to handle from one thousand to three thousand yards ofearth in ten hours. In actual operation there will be employed arailroad steam shovel or excavator mounted on one carto which will becoupled the platform car carrying the amalgamator or both may be mountedon the same car. On the rear end of the car carrying the amalgamatorthere will be an engine to furnish power for the amalgamator, and aboiler may also be placed on the car to connect with the engine; orsteam to run the amalgamator may be taken from the excavator boiler. Thepumping plant employed will consist of asteam boiler, engine and pump ofsufficient capacity to furnish say at least a thousand gallons of waterper minute at a pressure of say not less than sixty pounds to the squareinch. As these several parts however do not involve invention and beingmerely accessories that may be employed for operating the amalgamatorconstituting the invention said parts need not be and therefore are notillustrated but we merelyV refer to them to indicate what maybe employedin connection with the amalgamator in the actual operation of the sameon a large scale.

In operation, the material is emptied from the shovel or excavator intothe hopper of the amalgamator and from thence it passes into therevolving screen below. In this screen the material is carried around bythe rotation of the screen, and the coarser particles that fail to passthrough the meshes of the screen are, by the centrifugal action of thescreen, carried to the periphery thereof and ejected into the uppercompartment of the outlet, being guided in their movement by thedellector placed therein, and they are expelled with such force throughthis outlet that they are delivered a distance from the amalgamator intoa receptacle or at the point at which it is desired to deliver the same.The liner particles passing through the upper screen fall into the lowerscreen which revolves in an opposite direction (although it may revolvein the same direction) from that of the upper screen and by the forceimparted by the revolution of the upper screen are impelled into andagainst the surface of the lower screen with such force or impact thatthe material is forced through the meshes of that screen, the coarserparticles which fail to pass through being ejected by centrifugal forcefrom the periphery of the screen into the lower compartment of theoutlet into which they are guided by the deflector placed therein, andfrom this outlet they are impelled by the force given to them by thescreen to a rifiie (not shown) so that any nuggets of gold that may beejected with the coarser material may be saved. The particles howeverwhich pass through thelower screen drop through the openingin the shellinto the amalgamator pan, some of the particles dropping onto theinclined shelf or apron from which they are washed by the water admittedthrough the inlet at the upper end thereof. These particles washed fromthe shelf, and the particles which pass directly from the sieve, areboth delivered into the forward end of the amalgamator pan where theyare subj ected to agitation in the water which fills the pan, theagitation being produced by the oscillations of the agitators and by theforce of water ejected through the openings in the agitators so that thematerial composed mainly of the gold and sand is subjected to a constantmovement and rolling action in the water which causes a separation ofthe gold from the foreign matter, the gold being collected in themercury reservoirs or plates covering the bottom of the amalgamator panwhile the sand is carried by the current of waterto the tail end of thepan from which point it is delivered outside of the pan through thespout, the delivery being facilitated and assisted by the revolution ofthe paddle wheel at that end of the pan. The gold and the sand afterpassing through the two sieves enter the amalgai mator pan comparativelyfree from all foreign matter and in a state of disintegration so thatthe material is in the best condition to be subjected to a most thoroughagitation caused by the oscillation of the agitators which cause atumbling or rolling of the material from side to side of the amalgamatorpan while it is carried forward by the current established by the jetsof water issuing from the perforations of the agitators in the directionof the tail end of this pan so that before the sand reaches the tail endof the pan the gold has been separated therefrom and collected in themercury plates or reservoirs while the sand is caused to settle at thetail end and is removed therefrom by the fiow of water and by therotation of the paddle wheel, practically freed from all particles ofthe precious metal. The advantages and merits of an amalgamator of thisconstruction will be apparent to the skilled in the art and in view ofits capacity to operate upon a large scale and to most eifectuallyseparate the gold from the foreign matter it constitutes an amalgamatorespeciallyadapted for placer mining on a large scale.

Having described our invention and set forth its merits, what We claimisl. In an amalgamator, the combination with the upright revoluble shaftcarrying the inverted conical sieve presenting upwardly and outwardlyflaring walls, of the shell or case surrounding said sieve and extendingabove its top peripheral edge and formed with au outlet adjacent to theperiphery of the sieve, and a deiiector or divider adjacent to saidoutlet and the top peripheral edge of the sieve and projecting over saidtop edge to guide the material thrown from the top edge of the sieve bycentrifugal force into said outlet, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

2. In an amalgamator, the combination of the two revoluble concavesieves fitting one within the other, each presenting upwardly andoutwardly Haring walls, a shell or case surrounding said sieves andextending above the top peripheral edge of both sieves in proximity tosaid edges and formed with an outlet covering the peripheries of the twosieves, a partition arranged in said outlet to form it into twodivisions and keep separate the material thrown from the periphery ofthe two sieves, and a divider or deflector to each outlet and projectingover the top edge of each sieve to direct into the outlet the materialthrown centrifugally from the sieve substantially as and for thepurposes described.

3. In an amalgamator, the combination of the revoluble concave sievepresenting an upwardly and outwardly flaring wall, the shell or casesurrounding said sieve and extending above the top peripheral edge ofthe sieve and formed with an opening for the outlet of material thrownby centrifugal force from the top edge of the sieve, and a flangeextending downwardlyinside of the shellabove the sieve ICO IIO

to .form a deliecting hood for the material thrown centrifugally fromthe peripheral edge of the sieve, substantially as and for thepurposesdescribed.

4. In an amalgamator, the combination of the two revoluble concavesieves each presenting an upwardly and outwardly aring wall and fittingone inside the other, with the top peripheral edge of the upper sieveabove the top edge of the other, the shell or case Surrounding saidsieves, and extending above the top peripheral edge of both sieves andformed with an outlet for the material thrown centrifugally from theperipheral edges of the s1eves, and a ange extending downwardly insideof the shell above the upper sieve to form a deflec'ting hood for thematerial thrown from the periphery of the sieve, substantially as andfor the purposes described.

5. In an amalgamator, the combination of the case or shell, a concavesieve arranged in said shell and connected with the shaft passingthrough the same, a second concave sieve arranged below the first namedsieve and supported by a sleeve encircling the shaft of the Erst sieveand passing through the shell or case, and means applied to said shaftand sleeve respectively for revolving both sieves, substantially as andfor the purposes described.

6. In an amalgam ator, the combination with the shell or case and arevoluble concave sieve therein, of an inclined shelf or apron arrangedbeneath said sieve, and means for supplying water at the upper end ofsaid shelf or apronj'siibstantially as and for the purposes described.

7. In an amalgamator, the combination with an amalgamator pan, ofmechanism for grading auriferous material and feeding finer particles tothe amalgamator pan, said mechanism consisting of a shell or case havingan outlet for material thrown from the periphery of a sieve and anotherfor delivery to the pan of material passingA through the sieve, saidshell extending above the top peripheral edge of the sieve, an uprightperforated open concave sieve having its top peripheral edge contiguousto one of the outlets in the shell to permit material in the sieve toybe centrifugally ejected from it and through said outlet, an

upright shaft for supporting said sieve, and means for rotating saidsieve to cause the coarser material thereon to be moved from its lowerportion to its upper edge and centrifugally thrown through the outlet inthe shell at the top peripheral edge of the sieve while thetinerparticles will pass through the sieve and be discharged at thelower portion of the shell into the amalgamator pan, substantially asand for the purposes described.

8. In an amalgamator, the combination with an amalgamator pan, of aseries of agitators providedwith liquid channels having apertures facingthe tail end of the amalgamator pan to direct the liquid from thechannels in the direction of the tail end of the amalgamator pan,substantially as and for the purposes described. Y

9. In an amalgamator, the combination with `an amalgamator pan, of aseries of agitators and projections or blades thereon, both theagitators and said projections being formed with liquid passages and theprojections with apertures for the escape of the liquid, substantiallyas and for the purposes described.

10. In an amalgamator, the combination-Hw1- with an amalgamator pan, ofa series of segmental agitators having liquid passages and extendingtransversely of the pan, and the liquid supply pipe extendingtransversely of the agitators and lengthwise of the pan and having saidagitators secured thereto between their ends and communicatingtherewith, substantially as and for the purposes described.

l1. In an' amalgamator, the combination with an amalgamatorl pan, of aseries of curved agitatoi's formed with liquid passages, and eX- tendingin the direction of their length transversely of the said pan, a liquidsupply pipe extending lengthwise of the pan and transversely to theagitators and having said agitators connected thereto between theirends, a shaft sustaining said agitators and the liquid supply pipe in amanner to permit an oscillatory movement thereof, and means foroscillating the agitators, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

12. In an amalgamator, the combination with a shell or case containingrevoluble screens and an amalgamator pan, of oscillatory agitators insaid amalgamator pan, a revoluble shaft having connections with saidagitators, to transmit an oscillatory motion thereto, amain drive shaft,connecting mechanism between said drive shaft and the screens in saidcase or shell to revolve the screens, and connecting mechanism betweenthe saine main drive shaft and the revoluble shaft having connectionwith the oscillatory agitators, whereby said screens are revolved andthe agitators oscillated from the main drive shaft, substantially as andfor the purposes described.

. 13. In an amalgamator, the combination with the amalgamator pan, of aseries of oscillatory agitators in said pan formed with liquid passageshaving discharge orifices opening toward the tail end of the pan for thedelivery of water into the pan in the direction of the tail end thereof,and a paddle wheel at the tail end of the amalgamator pan for assistingin the agitation of the contents of the pan and in the delivery from thepan of the sand and other material carried to the tail end of the pan bythe iiow of water in the pan, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

14:. In an amalgamator, an amalgamator pan having a segmental interiorformed of a series of separately removable semi-circular amalgam platesor mercury reservoirs arranged side by side, substantially as and forthe purposes described.

15. In an amalgamator, an amalgamator pan IOO IIO

IIS

having a lining formed of a series of separately removable semi-circulartrough shaped amalgam plates or mercury reservoirs closed at oppositeends and applied to the pan on the inside thereof along the bottom andsides to form a segmental interior to the pan, substantially as and forthe purposes described.

16. In an amalgamator, an amalgamator pan having a lining formed ofaseries of semi-circular trough shaped amalgam plates or reservoirsarranged side by side inside the pan to form a segmental interior to thepan, and separable lengthwise ot the pan, said plates or re ceptaclesbeing also transversely separable and each section closed at oppositeends so that each length of the plates can be removed in sections,substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof We aflix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN F. DANIELS. JOSEPH II. ALLISON. Witnesses:

I. B. PERKINS, W. F. MASON.

